B.C. adds 9 deaths, dozens more hospitalizations in latest COVID-19 update
Nine more deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 in B.C., and hospitalizations in the province have risen to another record high, the Ministry of Health announced Friday.
In the final pandemic update of the week, the ministry said 924 people are currently in hospital with COVID-19 in B.C. That total includes 130 people who are in intensive care units.
The nine new deaths bring the pandemic death toll to 2,529, and push the seven-day rolling average for deaths in B.C. to 8.71 per day.
The last time the rolling average was that high was nearly a year ago, on Feb. 3, 2021.
Four of the latest deaths happened in Fraser Health, four in Vancouver Coastal Health and one in Island Health, according to the ministry.
The 924 hospitalizations reported Friday include both people whose COVID-19 infections are serious enough to require hospital care and people who were admitted to hospital for other reasons and tested positive during routine screening.
Some of those in hospital have contracted COVID-19 as part of an acute care outbreak, of which there were 10 across the province as of Friday.
Five new outbreaks in care homes were added to the provincial total, and one outbreak was declared over, leaving B.C. with a total of 62 active outbreaks in its health-care system.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has called the province's current method for calculating COVID-19 hospitalizations "an overestimate," but one that still helps illustrate the impact of the coronavirus on the province's health-care system.
Henry said during a news conference Friday that B.C.'s promised "deep dive" on hospitalizations is being used to guide officials as they look for what they can do to prevent severe illness in the province.
Friday's update also reported 2,364 new lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in B.C., a number that is no longer considered particularly indicative of the spread of the disease in the province.
B.C.'s testing system reached its capacity earlier on in the Omicron wave, prompting the province to recommend against testing for otherwise healthy people under the age of 65.
There are currently 33,997 test-confirmed active cases of COVID-19 in the province, but the true number is likely several times higher than that.
As of Friday, 89.4 per cent of eligible people ages five and older in the province have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 83.5 per cent have received a second dose.
Booster shots have been administered to 37.8 per cent of people ages 12 and older, or 40.5 per cent of adults.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Trump hush money trial: Play-by-play on Day 2 of Stormy Daniels testimony
Adult film star Stormy Daniels took the stand for a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump's hush money case continues in Manhattan.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
Cyclist strikes child crossing the street to catch school bus in Montreal
A video circulating on social media of a young girl being hit by a bike has some calling for better safety and more caution when designing bike lanes in the city. The video shows a four-year-old girl crossing Jeanne-Mance Street in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood to get on a school bus stopped on the opposite side of the street
B.C. wildfires likely to spread with weekend temperatures expected to soar, province says
Wildfire and emergency management officials in British Columbia are urging residents to be prepared for increased fire activity as temperatures are expected to soar above 30 C in parts of the province this weekend.
Wilfrid Laurier football player drafted despite only playing 27 games in his entire life
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.